Central Scouting's Top Rising Prospects

NHL's Central Scouting department is a collection of the foremost experts in the league's annual Entry Player Draft. Each season Central Scouting releases three sets of rankings --- a preliminary list (usually around the start of the season), a mid-term list (usually shortly after the World Junior Championships), and a final list (usually around the start of the NHL playoffs).

In comparing the final rankings to the mid-term rankings, NashvillePredators.com has compiled three lists of Central Scouting's rising prospects heading into draft weekend.

Largest Jumps, North American Skaters Within the Top-100

Prospect, Pos

Improvement

Final Ranking

Ryan Sproul, D

+70

54, from 124

Keegan Lowe, D

+63

88, from 151

Andy Welinski, D

+55

48, from 103

Steven Fogarty, C

+42

90, from 132

Joel Edmundson, D

+36

33, from 69

Keevin Cutting, D

+35

87, from 122

Colin Smith, C

+34

96, from 130

Zac Larraza, LW

+28

70, from 98

Sam Grist, D

+28

91, from 119

Jonathan Racine, D

+24

67, from 91

Entering the top-100 is key milestone for draft eligible prospects. While Central Scouting does not make any selections in the draft and has no authority of individual team draft boards, as a general rule of thumb, prospects ranked within the top-100 of Central Scouting's North American Skater list are highly likely to be selected at some point in the seven round draft this weekend. Once you add in goaltenders and European skaters, prospects ranked outside of the top-120 to 150 on Central Scouting's North American skater list become more long-shots and/or team preference decisions as to whether they will end up being selected this weekend.

Largest Jumps, North American Skaters Within the Top-50

Prospect, Pos

Improvement

Final Ranking

Andy Welinski, D

+55

48, from 103

Joel Edmundson, D

+36

33, from 69

Brett Ritchie, RW

+21

36, from 57

Alexander Khohklachev, LW

+16

29, from 45

Adam Clendening, D

+16

45, from 61

Jamieson Oleksiak, D

+14

13, from 27

Scott Oke, LW

+14

44, from 58

Stefan Noesen, RW

+12

35, from 47

Matt Nieto, LW

+12

43, from 55

Ryan Strome, C

+11

8, from 19

Central Scouting's top-50 North American skaters generally have a high probability of being selected in the first two-to-three rounds of a draft year.